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Next time I'm at the Smokey Point PAP yard (or any time someone local is there) check out the wrecked, white, '97 Impreza wagon. Pull down the head liner and see how the crossbars are mounted. No worries about trashing the car since it's already been pretty well stripped. I've got an extra set of roof mounted stuff and I can take a look at that when I get home later this week.

This should be the same as the rack on my outback wagon. Loosen the screw as far as it cvan go and then shove hard on it and you will see the bottom of the "claw" mechanism move downward. You will have to loosen both sides before you can get it off and if it hasn't been off in some time it may feel like it is stuck. Tap it up and down and it should move. You can then either remove the cross bar or move it to a new position.

Unfortunately, no - the cross bars are screwed in place and don't move and there doesn't appear to be any access to the nuts from the topside whatever. I have a dodge caravan that has adjustable crossbars - pull the lever, move the bar, push down the lever and it's done. THIS isn't quite as "simple".

I have thought about taking off the lengthwise rails, too, but can't figure out how to get them off either.

No need to remove the headliner, the bolts are on the outside (Legacies and GG imprezas need to remove headliner). At both ends of the rails (not the crossbars) there is a rectangular plastic sticker, take that off and there should be two screws holding the rails into brackets that are attached to the roof (8 screws total for the 4 ends).

Taking the crossbars off are impossible, the bolts attach to nuts that are very lightly welded to the rails. Any rust and the turning force will break the nut off and allow it to turn freely. Depending on whether you want to keep the stock crossbars or not, you can either take a dremel to the plastic brackets and just cut/rip it off, or cut a hole in the bottom of the rails and use needlenose pliers to hold the nuts.

If you remove the stock crossbars, you'll have a gap in the rubber moulding on the rails (asthetics only, doesn't affect anything), if you can find junked Impreza with rails you can take the rubber moulding from it and cut it to make it complete. If you take off the rails completely, (again for asthetics) you can take off the gutter moulding from a impreza wagon without a roof rack to make it look complete.

Lowriders won't work for these rails, Yakima doesn't officially make anything that will fit other than the Qtowers (you might be able to get attachments made for a different rack to fit, not sure if I would trust it at high speeds), though Thule's TK2 feet and trackers will attach to the rails.